Summer Time
by CourtneyEllen
Summary: Week 6: "Piggy back ride?"


"Piggy back ride?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on love, let me give you a piggy back ride," Cedric's smile was so genuine and full of life that Harry was sure that he would not be able to deny him whatever he wanted in that moment. He could ask him to take down Voldemort at that very second and he would.

Thinking of the vile creature made Harry's insides shudder and caused him to dwell on the fact that he could have lost Cedric only a month ago. If Pettigrew had been a second faster with the killing curse or had more than three brain cells in his head, he would have noticed that he didn't actually hit the Hufflepuff. No, Harry had hit Cedric with the body binding hex and let out a shout as if he was dead. Harry couldn't lose the Hufflepuff.

You see, contrary to what everyone thought, Harry and Cedric were never rivals. The older boy had longed to speak with the Gryffindor since the unfair match in Harry's third year. This tournament turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Cedric because even though Harry was in danger, he could talk to him and get to know him better than he ever had before.

It all started when the school abandoned Harry and no one believed him about entering his name. Cedric was always an observant boy and could tell that the young Gryffindor would rather be invisible than have eternal glory. Cedric was much the same, only being head boy and quidditch captain and then tournament participant because his father wanted to boast about him. If it made his father happy and pay some attention to him then Cedric was willing to do it.

Their relationship began with little notes being sent to Harry, offering him advice with the tasks or with Skeeter and then evolved into study sessions in the library, far away from the prying eyes of Cedric and Harry's friends. Cedric enjoyed Harry's company and wanted to see him safe. As time went on their relationship grew from friends to something in between more.

The first indication had been after the first task when Harry swarmed over Cedric's burnt skin like a mother hen and pestered him for hours if he was truly okay. Cedric thought at the time he was annoyed, but looking back on it, that was how Harry showed his concern and it made his heart flutter at the thought that Harry, who hadn't really known him before this tournament would care so much about his health.

The second indication had been when Harry asked him to the Yule Ball. Sadly, Cedric had to decline because Cho asked him first and he had said yes. Though that did not stop the Hufflepuff from teaching Harry how to dance in the kitchens or him from searching for the Gryffindor during said ball to give him a dance. He heard from Cho, however, that Harry had wandered off and then left with Ron after Hermione shouted at them. The dismal ending to the ball didn't stop Cedric though and with one note, him and Harry spent the night together in the kitchen talking about what he had seen when he wandered off.

It was this conversation that Harry found out that Cedric and Cho were not dating and had only went as friends because Cho wanted to make another Ravenclaw jealous. Harry remembers commenting on how selfish that was because Cedric didn't get to go with someone who truly wanted to be there with him. Cedric didn't remember what he had said in reply to that, but he remembers the taste of pumpkin juice and chocolate on Harry's lips when they kissed for the first time.

Suddenly, the in between more was more. They were secretly together. No one had really caught on since Cedric and Harry's friendship was much like their relationship. Only one had a lot of kissing and secret hand holding.

Everything had been going great for them until the third task. Harry still feels the crippling fear of watching the green light fly towards Cedric. He remembers the words coming out of Pettigrew's mouth and shoving his boyfriend to the ground. The hex was simple, but he had to convince Cedric that this was not the time to be angry with his decisions. He had muttered one single word "Voldemort" and Cedric had understood and played his part as dead.

Harry remembers using the port key to come back, Cedric's binding having worn off and despite the crowd the Hufflepuff wrapped himself around him and press their lips together. It was rough and full of fear. They had just faced off with Voldemort and lived to tell the tale. When Harry cried Voldemort, Cedric was right there to back him up. That was the only good thing about having Cedric there, someone would finally believe what he was saying.

Now it was summer and recently eighteen year old Hufflepuff decided that he would spend every day with Harry. Cedric would have to re-take his seventh year because of the tournament and the Voldemort thing. Amos had not liked that his only son almost lost his life and yanked him out of Hogwarts before he could take his exams. Dumbledore said he could have easily just taken the exams, but Cedric (selfishly) wanted to spent another year with Harry.

Cedric had also worked wonders with Harry's relatives. Sure, they didn't know that Cedric spent the night almost every night with Harry and that they were together, but with one flick of his wand all of Petunia's garden was weeded and watered and she was won over. Vernon had also even stopped talking to Harry altogether. Cedric wasn't as menacing as he liked to think, but he was muscular and could use magic. Just the mention of him made Vernon hold his tongue for fear of something would happen to him.

Even Dudley had come around with the presence of Cedric. It had been when Cedric was telling them about all that had happened in Harry's fourth year and how they faced off with Voldemort and for some reason, it had clicked in Dudley's head that Harry was a boy who had too thrusted upon him in such little time. That he got enough shit in his school life and didn't need it at home. Plus Dudley had even stood up to his father at the beginning of the summer when the threat of Cedric hadn't really sunken in.

Now here they were, at some dusty park in the scorching heat with the Hufflepuff attempting to get Harry on his back. The Gryffindor hadn't really wanted to, but Cedric was always persuasive with his dimples.

"Come on love," Cedric cheered, kneeling down in front of the swing Harry was sat on. The green eyed boy rolled his eyes playfully and carefully straddled his back. He had grown in height over the summer, but Cedric still lifted him with ease and bounced him up carefully so he could hold his thighs.

"If you drop me, you are sleeping in the garden." Harry threatened, though it was playful and lead to him pressing his lips against Cedric's neck.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Cedric grinned, taking off in a sprint that had Harry letting out a small cry in surprise and soon enough laughter filled the otherwise quiet park. Dark times were ahead, but at least Harry had Cedric at his side to offer some light.

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I hope you guys like this one! The Dudley/Dursley part was somewhat requested by smiley-face719! See you guys next week!


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